Edgar Alwyn Payne

At age 18, George Hurrell started out as a fine art painter, studying at the prestigious Art Institute in Chicago.  One spring day in 1925, while still attending the Art Institute, Hurrell met the famous landscape painter Edgar Alwyn Payne. 

Hurrell accepted Payne’s invitation to come out to Laguna Beach, California and be a part of the Laguna Art Colony.

George Hurrell in Laguna Beach, CA

Courtesy of Pancho Barnes Enterprises, Inc.

In 1925, Hurrell met Florence Leontine Lowe (Pancho) Barnes, who went on to become a highly accomplished aviator.  Pancho and George became great friends.  Three years later Hurrell photographed Pancho at home in Laguna Beach.  She couldn’t believe how beautiful he made her look, and loved the photos. 

Ramon Novarro, a famous silent movie star at MGM, was one of Pancho’s best friends.  With the transition to talking pictures, Novarro, who had a great operatic voice, was vacillating between staying in Hollywood or becoming a stage actor in Europe.  Navarro wanted some dramatic photographs for his stage pursuits and Pancho recommended Hurrell.  Novarro had a series of photographs taken by George Hurrell at Pancho’s homes in Pasadena and Laguna Beach, Including one dressed as Percival, standing next to Pancho Barnes’ horse.  When Pancho saw the photograph, she exclaimed: “If George Hurrell can make my horse look as beautiful as the most handsome man in America, then everyone should be using George Hurrell as their photographer.”

Ramon Novarro

Ramon Novarro

Norma Shearer

Navarro soon introduced George to Norma Shearer. Norma was married to Irving Thalberg , the head of MGM Studios. MGM was casting for an upcoming movie, “The Divorcee” and Norma wanted the role. Irving Thalberg couldn’t see his “angelic” wife playing the part of some vampy divorcee. Shearer went to Hurrell and said “make me a vamp”. Hurrell did just that, and created the sultry images that won Norma the role.

Hurrell’s reputation as the Rembrandt of portrait photography spread quickly throughout the industry, and within a year, practically everyone in Hollywood was seeking Hurrell for his photographic portrait skills. In 1930 he became head portrait photographer for MGM. During his 60-plus year career in photography he worked for almost all the major studios in Hollywood and photographed just about every major Hollywood star.